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The amount of UV is dependant upon the filter and the type. Where I work, our part of the office has tube cover filters that go over the bulbs, and they have diffusers/filters in the fixture's shield. The hallways and restrooms only have diffusers. The storage area upstairs just has open fixtures. Since a flourescent light can emit from 10 to 30 times the uv you get from the sun (dependant upon the bulb and the fixture), even cutting the amount in half is still more than you'd get outdoors, so it's important to be careful. My rhuemy is almost certain that my last two "reactions" (regular doc's diagnosis) - flares to my rheumy - were caused by uv light. I was not wearing sunscreen all the time, but I do now, and I still turn red on some days. Even with filtering, some of the uv will get to you.

"There but for the grace of God, go I."
"... His mercy endureth for ever."

jmail --- this is a very interesting thread, I am certainly learning a lot from the knowledge base at the WHL community.

So I work in corporate america in a pretty high-stress, ivory tower type position and I have hidden my disease from my boss and my coworkers for 6 years. Luckily I have the luxury to be able to work from home 1 or 2 days a week which has saved me many times from having to take time off work when my flares get bad.

However, in my building all of the flourescent lights have open fixtures like in a warehouse, only they're supposed to be "uber modern". At my desk if I look up right now, there are 16 long flourescent bulbs within 10 feet from my head, raining down UV rays apparently on me 10-12 hours a day while I work. I do wear Rx sunscreen on my face and neck (as a general SLE precaution anyway) and I always come to work in pants, but the top of my head, my arms, my hands and my chest obviously get the full effects of this UV onslaught daily.

I tend to feel "sicker" at the office than I do at home which I always chocked up to me being crazy and perhaps just not wanting to be at work! Maybe the lights though actually do have a part in the reason why I can get so tired and ill/malaised by the end of the day here versus working at home in a shaded study with a reading lamp?

I have a newer laptop so I'm less worried about the rays from the screen, but I am terrified to ask for any sort of special covering on the lights above that would affect not only me but the several desks in my vicinity. I would likely have to ask my other coworkers for approval (and then I would have to tell them I was sick!) and I would likely have to get approval from my VP (another uncomfortable conversation), and would then add fuel to the perception that women are weaker and whiners in the office versus men. [I work in a high-tech semiconductor industry which is dominated by men; my manager-level position as a woman is extremely rare].

Arghhh, it is so difficult to balance the needs of our disease with the perception of professionalism versus "neediness" in a work environment. --What to do?

Feeling sick while at work is something that so many of us had (or still have) to deal with. It may be a combination of the UV rays from your computer screen and the fluorescent lighting in your office. If you have to contend with both of those 8-10 hrs/day..every day, it is no wonder that you are sicker at work.

If you purchased the screen out of your own funds, would you still have to have all of the permissions and have to give all of the explanations? It would seem to me that no one could question you for making your work area more comfortable for you (whatever your reasons are) if you are doing so with your own funds!

I could have sworn that I had mentioned to ask a building maintenance employee (janitor) what they've got for the bulbs and shields. That's how I found out what we have in our place. Do it in an off-hand way. Maybe be concerned about skin cancer. ?? The fixtures in our main office look like they're old-style, but they do have full shielding on them, so it's less than being in the sun. However, there is no shade in there, no avoiding the light, hence my use of hats etc.

"There but for the grace of God, go I."
"... His mercy endureth for ever."

Thanks for all of your responses, I'm still looking into it and going to speak to my employer in the new year. I've been using suncream every day and my face has been burning up a lot less...so that's my little experiment done! It's just such an arse to try and cover every bit of exposed flesh in suncream every day...will deffo look into the light filters.